Tag: devotions

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who’s the Phariseest of Them All?

Posted on by holyghostnotes in Book of Mark, Devotionals

Mark 3:22-30

As we’ve been reading through the gospel of Mark, perhaps you’ve been struck by the various groups of religious authorities.  Mark tells us about the Pharisees, Herodians, scribes, chief priests, elders, and Sadducees.  Have you ever wondered why they are in a story about Jesus?  Afterall, why not just tell us about Jesus and his miracles?  Every story needs a protagonist and an antagonist.  Jesus is obviously the protagonist and, together, the various religious authorities form the antagonist.  As Mark has been telling his story, he has made it clear that Jesus has authority over the world.  He has authority over disease, demons, nature, and even the law.  And, by implication, Jesus has authority over all other religious authorities, which is why they hate him and seek to destroy him.

The urban dictionary way of saying it would be Jesus is the hero and the religious authorities are the villain.  

There’s another purpose for including the various religious authorities, in order to give you a mirror so you can see yourself.  It’s impossible for us to see our blindspots, unless someone else points them out to us.  One of the best ways to point out blindspots is to tell a story in the third person, hoping the listener sees himself or herself in the characters.    

When we read Mark’s gospel, we are to see ourselves in the characters of the religious authorities.  In other words, Jesus is the hero and we are the villain.  Mark’s gospel story is a mirror, showing us what we look like at times.  To riff off the witch in Snow White, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the Phariseest of them all?”

Jesus is constantly showing us his authority over all life and we are constantly challenging him, just like the scribes and Pharisees.  He lays claim on our lives and we seek to evade him.  He shows love to the unlovable and we get hung up on some trivial point of our manmade “law,” missing the forest for the trees.  He is getting all the attention and we’re getting jealous.  He heals and we inflict pain.  He forgives and we judge.  He shows mercy and we demand revenge.  He makes friends with outcasts and losers and we say he’s gone mad.  He casts out unclean spirits and we accuse him of being too cosy with the devil.

That’s where our passage is taking us today in Mark 3:22-30 and I want you to see yourself in it.  “And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, ‘He is possessed by Beelzebul,’ and by the prince of demons he casts out the demons” (Mark 3:22).  They also said, “He has an unclean spirit” (30).  At first, you might not be able to see yourself, but step closer to the mirror, and really look.  

Think about a car.  Let’s say you were convinced a particular car had a bad engine, would you buy it?  Of course not!  You wouldn’t trust it to take you where you needed to go.  Likewise, the religious authorities were convinced Jesus had a bad engine, thinking he was powered by a bad or unclean spirit.  They didn’t buy him and surely didn’t trust he could get them where they needed to go.  

Can you see yourself yet?

In response, Jesus told them “all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” (Mark 3:28-29).  

Make no mistake, you will be forgiven for every single sin you have ever done or will do.  “All sins” means all sins!  However, there’s one particular sin that never has forgiveness, and that’s to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit.  What does this mean?  It means you think Jesus is powered by an evil engine.  You don’t think he will take you where you want to go.  You think he can’t provide forgiveness and does not have authority over life.  If we think he can’t do what he says he can do, to put it simply, then he won’t.

I love how Jesus tells his life story, turning himself into a streetwise tough guy.  “But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man.  Then indeed he may plunder his house.” (Mark 3:27).  In just a couple of sentences, Jesus tells us he’s like a thief, who breaks into a house, ties up the musclehead bouncer in the corner, and then steals all his stuff.  That is the narrative of life Jesus is asking us to embrace.  Jesus Christ broke into our evil world, has bound the devil, and is reclaiming all hostages.  He might not be doing it exactly like you or I would do it, but he is doing it.  

He may be staying out late with prostitutes and getting drunk with government officials, but he is doing it.

Again, can you see yourself, yet?

Let me point out where we are located in the story, in case you missed it.  Verse 22 says, “And the scribes…came down from Jerusalem.”  They “came down” to accuse Jesus, because they thought they were above him.  They thought he was below them.  They thought they knew more than he did.  They wouldn’t run the world the way he was running it.  Can you relate?  

Think about your life, are you happy with how God is running it?  Or are you envious of others?  Do you buck at what’s going on at home?  Grumble at your life situation?  Do you think you know better than Jesus?  Do you look down upon him?  If we’re being honest, most of us feel that way at some point.  

By default, we are all Pharisees, until the Spirit convinces us of our sin (instead of us accusing the Spirit of His sin). 

Remember, all sins will be forgiven, no matter what you’ve done, who you are, or how many times you’ve done it.  But the only sin that cannot be forgiven is to believe in your heart that Jesus is driven by pure evil and cannot take you where you need to go.  Jesus can forgive you, Jesus will forgive you, Jesus loves you, and Jesus is causing all things to work together for good, whether it looks like it or not (Romans 8:28).  

“Help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24).                

The Breakdown

  1. In what areas do you tend to judge others the most?  Keep track throughout the day and write them down.  What does this show you about yourself?  What can you learn?
  2. Be honest, do you doubt Jesus’s plan for your life?  Why or why not?
  3. What does Mark 3:22-30 teach you about yourself?  About God?  About others?
  4. Go to the mirror and honestly ask it, “Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who’s the Phariseest of them all?”

Top Ten F-Words to Diagnose the Insanity of Jesus

Posted on by holyghostnotes in Book of Mark, Devotionals

Mark 3:13-21

This is our 20th devotional in the gospel of Mark!  True, we’re only at chapter 3, but sometimes it’s best to go slowly through the things that are most important in life.  Our verses today pause the action, giving us time to catch our breath and reflect.  The passage includes a list of the twelve apostles of Jesus, along with some other interesting tidbits.  We learn that Jesus’s family didn’t believe in him or support his mission.  “And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, ‘He is out of his mind’” (Mark 3:21).  His own family thought he was insane!  Why?

The Holy Ghost Notes would like to present to you, for the first time ever in biblical devotional literature history, “The Top Ten F-Words to Diagnose the Madness of Jesus.”  Please enjoy responsibly!

10. Fame

Doesn’t everyone want fame?  High social media stats, to be well known?  Not Jesus!  Jesus told everybody, including demonic spirits, not to tell anyone about him or his awesome miracles.  He did not want any fame whatsoever, but only to help the needy.  Surely he must be crazy!

9. Followers

Take a look at his followers.  None were educated and all were subordinary working class men, a few of which were hated by their communities.  Put another way, Jesus picked all the losers for his dodgeball team, like any fool would do. 

8. Friends

His chosen, closest friends were the scum of society, notorious, dirty sinners.  He partied with those who could give him nothing in return.  They provided no social standing, material possessions, emotional support, or intellectual inspiration.  Only a madman would choose these no-good friends. 

7. Foes

Don’t you want the approval and acceptance of the leaders of society?  Not crazy Jesus!  He made enemies out of the well-to-do, respectable, educated community leaders of his day.  Jesus easily could have won them over to be his friends and allies, but he wanted them to be his foes. 

6. Family

His biological family didn’t support him, but Jesus didn’t let this get under his skin.  Instead, he chose a handful of listeners in an ordinary crowd to be his new mother and sister and brother (Mark 3:34).  Everyone knows we can’t choose our families, but Jesus must not have gotten the memo.  

5. Fasting

You know that one weird family that doesn’t participate in Halloween or Christmas?  Jesus was that guy.  On one of the biggest holy days of the year, Jesus didn’t fast like everyone else, risking his neck with the religious leaders and his standing in the community.  But then, on an ordinary day, Jesus fasted from food so that he could spend time with more people (Mark 3:20)!

4. Feasting

When he was supposed to be fasting, Jesus was feasting with tax collectors and sinners.  When questioned about this, Jesus told the authorities their day of fasting was like a day of feasting at a wedding celebration to him!   He got everything backwards. 

3. Foreshadowing 

Starting here in Mark 3:19, Jesus begins to foreshadow his death.  After picking the disciple named Judas, we’re told, “…and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.”  Jesus purposefully picked a traitor to be on his team, whose purpose would be to hand Jesus over to death.  Jesus will talk about his looming death frequently now, like any other nut. 

2. Father

Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, making God his Father.  Not only did people think he was an inflamed narcissist, but also they suspected his theological chops.  Only a crazy person would say that divinity could birth humanity.  But Jesus insisted that God was his Father. 

1. Forgiveness

Along these lines, perhaps the most outrageous claim of this madman was he could forgive the sins of the whole world.  For Jesus to do this, he would have to be both God and human; he would have to be the Judge, the judged, and the judgment price, all wrapped up into one perfect person. 

The prevailing way to deal with a guy like Jesus is to say, “He is out of his mind.”  But the thoughtful way, the dangerous way, is to use one more F-word, which is faith.  Faith, after taking a long look at the world around us, says, “No, we are.” 

The Breakdown

  1. What does the average person think about Jesus?  Do you think it lines up with who he really was? 
  2. What surprises you about Jesus? 
  3. How does Jesus turn our world upside down and how is he calling you to live your life differently? 

Maybe Your Church Needs More Demons

Posted on by holyghostnotes in Book of Mark, Devotionals

Mark 3:7-12

After Jesus healed the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath, the Pharisees and Herodians held an official meeting to decide how best to destroy Jesus.  Jesus caught wind of their plot, so he and his disciples withdrew to the sea for protection.  But the crowds knew how to find Jesus.  It’s amazing to see how fast and far Jesus’s influence had spread.  By this time, people were coming from all over to see him: Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, Tyre, and Sidon (Mark 3:7-8).  “When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him” (Mark 3:8).

In a crowd that large, it’s inevitable there will be those with unclean, demonic spirits.  In fact, in any crowd, including today, there are those with unclean spirits.  How do they react to Jesus?  “And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God.’” (Mark 3:11).  In order to maintain as low a profile as possible, so he could minister as long as possible before the authorities caught up to him, Jesus strictly ordered the unclean spirits not to make him known (Mark 3:12). 

So What’s up with Demonic Confessions? 

Have you noticed that so far in Mark’s gospel, the boldest and most accurate confessions of who Jesus is have come from demons?  Let’s recap.  In Mark 1:24, a demon said to Jesus, “I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”  Then in Mark 1:34, Jesus forbade some other demons from speaking about his true identity as the Son of God, “because they knew him.”  And now, here in chapter three, many more demons are crying out loudly, “You are the Son of God” (Mark 3:11).  In fact, no humans in the story have yet to give such clear and consistent testimony to the identity of Jesus. 

Darkness knows who Jesus is.  Think about that for a moment.

Ranking the Key Characters

If we were to rate all characters so far in the story, concerning their knowledge and witness of Jesus, the ranking might surprise you.  Using a scale of 1-10, let’s make one the lowest, those who don’t recognize Jesus’s true identity at all; and, let’s make ten the highest, those who know for certain that Jesus is the Son of God.  (I’ll be honest, I’m just making a judgment call on these numbers, based on the evidence so far in Mark’s gospel; nonetheless, I think these are good, educated guesses.)

  • The Pharisees, scribes, Herodians, and other religious leaders—1
  • The disciples—4
  • The crowds (and all those who wildly flocked to Jesus)—5
  • Tax collectors and sinners—7
  • John the Baptist—8  
  • Those Jesus healed from disease—9
  • Those Jesus healed from demons and unclean spirits—10

Let’s summarize.  The Pharisees and religious leaders were completely out of touch with reality.  The disciples were slowly beginning to pick up on the truth.  The crowds were quicker to realize who Jesus was, as evidenced by how they were pursuing him.  The tax collectors and sinners, no doubt because of their great need, knew Jesus was a great Physician.  John the Baptist knew who Jesus was, though he had his struggles, asking Jesus at one point, “Are you the one to come or shall we expect another?” (Matthew 11:3).  Those who had already been healed of disease, the paralytic, man with the withered hand, and Simon’s mother-in-law, were convinced of Jesus’s true identity.  Finally, the demons themselves had no doubt about Jesus’s identity and couldn’t refrain from confessing his divinity; in fact, Jesus had to order them to put their constant testifying chatter on pause. 

Drawing a Few Conclusions

Here are a few observations from this ranking.  First, the more “religious” you looked on the outside, the less you knew who Jesus actually was.  Second, the harder and darker your life got, the greater your knowledge of Jesus.  Third, the darkness and all therein knew exactly who Jesus was.  Fourth, it took the actual disciples longer to understand who Jesus was, compared to those with darker, harder lives.   

Go into Your Darkness

So how can knowing these things help you?  The principle is this: the deeper into your own darkness you go, the more you will learn of Jesus Christ.  Does this surprise you?  The more you learn and understand your own evil, your personal, unclean spirits, the more you will come to know Jesus Christ in all his majesty and love, if you only look for him. 

For in the darkness, there is constant chatter about Jesus Christ. 

We know this experientially, too.  Think about your worst moments, when evil and darkness overwhelmed you.  As you think about those moments, think about Jesus, too.  The closer to evil we get, the greater our sense of the divinity of Jesus Christ.  When things are really bad, we know that Jesus is really good.  We will confess Jesus the Christ more easily in our worst moments than in our best. 

Don’t disdain your darkness, for it holds a precious testimony of Jesus. 

In contrast, the more out of touch with your darkness you are, the less you will be able to see and identify Jesus in your life.  You’ll be like the Pharisees, who believed they had no sickness, so they could not see the identity of the Great Physician at all.  Another way of setting up our ranking is with the terms “truth” and “deception.”  On one end of the scale, the demons could clearly see the truth; on the other end, the Pharisees were blinded by deception. 

When you enter your darkness honestly, humbly, and openly, you’ll begin to see Jesus Christ clearer and clearer.  If you avoid your darkness, cover-up your darkness, deny your darkness, or project your darkness onto something/one else, then you won’t be able to see who Jesus is at all.  You’ll think he’s just another Pharisee, with little to offer you.

The Church and the Demonic State

The church today needs more people who are willing to look at, acknowledge, and embrace the evil within themselves, and less who walk in superficial religion, pretending they’ve found the answers, have it all together, and claim not to struggle with personal, persistent demons.  The true enemy of the church is not darkness or evil, but hypocrisy.  It always has been.  We can see Jesus in the darkness, but he will remain unseen in the artificial glow of our jerry-rigged, pasty self-righteousness.  Demons make Jesus known, but Pharisees won’t.  Surely Mark wishes us to see this ironic truth and apply it to the church today.

If your church isn’t experiencing Jesus as much as you’d like, then maybe it needs more demons—or, at least, recognize the ones that are already there.

The Breakdown

  1. What are your darkest struggles? Can you name them?  Be thorough and honest. 
  2. Where would you place yourself on the scale?  Why?
  3. What are you afraid to talk about with others?  Here’s a principle to learn: whatever you can’t talk about, has power over you.  Remember, Jesus loves honest sinners, but he has less patience for hypocrites. Remember, exposing your darkness to trusted leaders is a gift to the church.

The Emotions of Jesus

Posted on by holyghostnotes in Book of Mark, Devotionals

Mark 3:1-6

There were no desk jobs in Bible times.  That may seem incidental, unless you were the man with the withered hand.  He needed both hands in order to make a living; rather, he needed both hands in order to live.  Unless you were royalty, every job available required complete physical fitness.  So when Jesus asked the Pharisees, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” he spoke honestly about the predicament of this man.  To heal or not to heal his withered hand was a matter of life or death.

Too bad the Pharisees were too caught up in their religion to care.  They’d been following Jesus, waiting to accuse him of breaking the law, which, as we saw last time, was ironic, for they were working on the Sabbath as well, working at following, spying, accusing, and condemning Jesus.  Here’s a good sign your religion is useless: if you use it to justify hurting another person, or—even subtler—if you use it as the reason not to help someone in need. 

Take note of Jesus’s emotions.  “And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand’” (Mark 3:5).  Jesus was angry and Jesus grieved.

I don’t know about you, but I struggle with my emotions.  It’s hard for me to name them, experience them without shame, process them, and accept them.  So whenever I read about the emotions of Jesus, I sit up and take note, for he experienced his emotions perfectly, every time.

That’s the right choice of words, too, by the way.  Jesus “experienced” his emotions, just like everybody else.  In other words, emotions happen to us.  We don’t choose them, but we are passive participants.  It’s kind of like the chemicals in your body.  Your body is constantly producing all sorts of chemicals in response to the environment around you and the needs within you.  You can’t stop your body from doing what it does.  It’d be ridiculous to think you should be ashamed of producing insulin, for instance, or urine!  In the same way, your body and soul produce various emotions; and you shouldn’t be ashamed of them, either.  You can’t control your emotions, not even Jesus could.

However, emotions are a great gift from God, which, when used the right way, can make the world a better place.  We must learn to listen to our emotions, just as Jesus did to his.

When Jesus saw the Pharisees were unwilling to allow him to heal on the Sabbath, he became angry.  Is it a sin to be angry?  Of course not.  When Jesus realized the extent of their hardness of heart, he was filled with grief, which is another emotion.  Is it a sin to be sad?  Of course not.

Think about the word “emotion.”  Notice it contains the word “motion” in it.  That’s a good clue on what we’re to do when we feel various emotions: we are to get moving!  Jesus didn’t reject or bury his anger and grief; rather, he let these emotions put him in motion toward those around him who were in need, in this case, the man with the withered hand.  His emotions told him he’d better get moving, following his gut and his God on what to do next, despite the fact that the Pharisees might kill him for it!  You see, sometimes in life, we need a little extra help from our emotions to get us to do what we know we need to do.  Think of your emotions as lighter fluid, helping you kindle the next action into flame. 

If you don’t sense any emotion in yourself, then chances are you’re living a stagnant, stuck life.  If you have fear or anxiety, on the other hand, then most likely you’re challenging yourself to push beyond what’s comfortable or normal.  Having emotions is an indication you’re trying to change the world, are in a place to grow, and are pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. 

The trouble is when we bury, deny, or reject our emotions, because someone once communicated to us they were bad.  Plenty of men will not accept their sensitive emotions, for instance, so they reject that part of themselves.  Or they reject their anger, just because they’ve seen it get out of control in others.  But without tears and ire, how will you move out into the situations around you to genuinely help? 

Jesus ended up healing the man.  His emotions played a role in this astounding miracle.  That’s how I want you to think about your emotions, as you seek to process them in a healthy way.  Yes, there are many ways of processing emotions in an unhealthy way, as mentioned above.  Your emotions will play a vital role in bringing help and healing to life around you.  Your emotions, just like those of Jesus, play a role in miracles happening.  In other words, good things will happen in your life less and less if you keep your emotions to yourself, for they are a gift to the suffering, needy, hopeless world around us.  To be clear, I’m not saying emotions were the cause of the miracle, but they played their necessary role. 

Here’s one more observation.  Just because you process your emotions the right way, doesn’t mean life will turn out to be all sunshine and rainbows.  In contrast, and this is partly why some are so afraid of their emotions, sometimes your emotions get you into trouble.  Afterward, the Pharisees began to come up with a serious plan on how to “destroy” Jesus—not just kill, but destroy.  Emotion begets emotion.

You could play it safe, hide your thoughts and feelings from the world, not risk taking a stand for what you know to be true.  Or, you could embrace the full wonder of your humanity, just like Jesus, and help to free people from their suffering. 

Too many of us live lives of total adaption; we adapt to the hardness of heart of those around us, who are not touched by the suffering around them.  I want to be more like Jesus, who didn’t constantly have to seek permission to be himself.  Instead of relinquishing in adaption, Jesus chose action.  His life was that of motion—rather, emotion. 

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand.  And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.  And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.”  And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent.  And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.  The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.  —Mark 3:1-6

The Breakdown

  1. What are some of the injustices you see in the world around you?  How do they make you feel?  Name these emotions.
  2. By focussing on the emotions of Jesus, we’re able to see how fully he embraced being human.  Why is it so important to realize Jesus was fully human, just as much as you or me?
  3. Does your religion or faith tradition keep you from helping those in need?  How?  Or, have you ever used your religion as an excuse, keeping you from doing what you knew/felt to be right?

How to Find out Where You Suck

Posted on by holyghostnotes in Book of Mark, Devotionals

What is the basis of your identity?  Is it how you measure up to a certain standard?  Or is the basis of your identity your frail humanity, which often is hungry and in need?  As we’ll see, the Pharisees based their identity on their moral performance.  They tried to keep God’s law perfectly and attacked those who fell short.  

It was the Jewish Sabbath, Saturday on our calendars.  Jesus and his disciples were hungry and in need of food, so as they walked through some grainfields, they plucked heads of grain to eat.  The Pharisees caught them and accused them of working on the Sabbath day of rest.  According to their rules, this was a capital offense, punishable by death.  “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” (Mark 2:25).  

Jesus reminded them of a story in the Bible when King David and his men also broke the rules, eating consecrated bread from the temple that was meant only for the priests.  Jesus asked them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry…how he entered the house of God…and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” (Mark 2:25, 26).

Then Jesus said to the Pharisees, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).

Again, the Pharisees got their sense of meaning and identity from being excellent keepers of the law.  If we’re honest, we’re the same as them.  More often than not, we get our sense of meaning and identity from being those who can perform well, who can meet or surpass a standard.  For instance, if we don’t commit any crimes, then we think we’re better than those who do.  If we have a certain income that can afford certain purchases, then we feel better about ourselves.  If we have achieved specific career goals or have a family, then we think we must not be too bad a person.  If we listen to the right pastors, read the right blogs, or go to the right church, then we’re better off than others.  

But all who build their identity on performance metrics will fall and cut themselves on Jesus’s razor sharp rule, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”  

If you can’t see what he means yet, let’s put it in other terms:  “Career goals were made for man, not man for career goals.”  “Family was made for man, not man for family.”  “A nice home was made for man, not man for a nice home.”  “A good reputation was made for man, not man for a good reputation.”  “Success was made for man, not man for success.”

This razorsharp rule of Jesus has the potential to cut you free from the identity project that is enslaving you, releasing you to discover your ultimate identity, which is being a needy, hungry, hurting, beautiful, beloved, weak, wild child of God.

You were not meant to serve your home like a slave.  You were not meant to serve your appearance like a slave.  You were not meant to serve your so-called reputation like a slave.  You were not meant to serve your job or kids or friends like a slave.  Don’t put these things in the place of God.  Use these things to get more of God, but don’t use God to get more of these things.  

To me, the most precious sentence in this story is, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry” (Mark 2:25).  And then later, did you notice the new name Jesus called himself?  He called himself the “Son of Man,” as if to identify with the frailty of humanity (Mark 2:28).  If you cannot embrace your need, your hunger and pain, weakness and want, then most likely you have an ulterior identity project you’re nursing on the side.  The Pharisees would never admit to need or failure.  In fact, they were ready to kill Jesus and the disciples for breaking a rule, in order to do something as fundamental as eating!  

For some people, one of the hardest things in the world is to admit their need, for they want to appear to have everything under control.  Why?  Because they’re caught up in their identity project of moral performance, which does not allow them to be real, flesh-and-blood human beings.  

Some people keep God’s rules, denying themselves, not because they love God, but because they love the accolades they get from others.  Ironically, the more ‘godly’ we become, the greater the chance we might fall out of love with God and more in love with ourselves.  The opposite is also true, the more we are able to embrace our humanity and need, the greater the chance we have to grow in godliness and our love for God. 

When we base our identity on our moral performance, then we’re in danger of becoming entitled, thinking we deserve something better, because we’ve been so good.  Or we might even think we deserve to be bad, because we’ve been so good.  You should know, however, that a sense of entitlement leads to a lack of empathy toward others.  This is why the Pharisees could not accept the tax collectors and sinners.  

Here’s one last observation that flows from Jesus’s words.  Think about how the Pharisees noticed Jesus and his disciples plucking grain, even though they were far out in a field.  The only reason the Pharisees noticed was because their lives (personal identity projects) depended on it.  You see, the things you notice others doing wrong are the things you want others to notice you doing right.  For whatever reason, you’ve made that thing you noticed others doing wrong your personal identity project, which is the thing you’re using to create your own pool of self-righteousness.  

The thing about self-righteousness is that it never rests.  It’s like an angry sea, constantly churning up muck and grime.  It’s constantly noticing a particular behavior from others, because, as I already said, it wants to get approval for not failing in that way.

But, as you might have guessed, the Pharisees were guiltier than they themselves realized.  Did you notice the Pharisees were also working on the Sabbath?  The very thing they accused Jesus of doing, they were doing, too.  Jesus was only picking some grain to eat, meeting a basic human need.  However, the Pharisees were doing the work of spying, following, accusing, plotting, and condemning!  They were much busier than Jesus on the Sabbath!  When your heart starts to condemn someone else, realize you do the same thing, because you wouldn’t have noticed it in the first place.  This is how to find out where you suck.  “Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.” (Romans 2:1).  

God has given you much with which to enjoy him.  You’ll find him more enjoyable as a real, needy human being, than as a strong, self-sufficient model of faith.

One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain.  And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”  And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?”  And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. —Mark 2:23-27

The Breakdown

  1. Think about the identity that might be enslaving you, then fill in the blanks: “The _______________ was made for me, not me for _______________.”  
  2. Is it hard for you to appear weak to others?  Why or why not?  Write your answer in a journal.  Take time to dig beneath the surface.
  3. What do others do that bugs you in particular?  What do you really notice that stirs you up?  Now, be honest with yourself, and realize you do the same.  Think of the ways you’re guilty, too.  

Spiritual Shrinkage

Posted on by holyghostnotes in Book of Mark, Devotionals

Mark 2:18-22

It’s hard to forget the episode of Seinfeld that revolved around the term “shrinkage.”  As usual, George was trying to impress a woman; and, as usual, everything backfired on him. While George was taking off his swim trunks after being in the pool, a woman accidentally walked in on him.  She giggled and then quickly left the room.  Immediately, desperately, George yelled out, “Shrinkage!“  Later, in an attempt to salvage some of his male dignity, he asked Jerry, “Do you think she knows about shrinkage?  Does she know…after being in the cold pool…it shrinks?”  

Feasting or Fasting

Long before the relationship woes of George Costanza, Jesus also spoke of shrinkage.  We pick up where we left off last time, with Jesus feasting at Levi’s home alongside tax collectors and sinners.  Evidently, this party took place on a Jewish day of fasting, which was a solemn day of abstaining from food.  Some people noticed they were feasting, while everyone else was fasting, so they asked Jesus, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” (Mark 2:18).

Wedding Symbols

To explain why, Jesus used the rich imagery found in wedding celebrations—quite different from a day of fasting!  He pointed to three items in a wedding, the new clothing, the fine wine, and the invited guests.  As for the clothing, Jesus imagined a scenario where someone wanted to wear his old outfit to the wedding, but had to patch it up a bit to make it look better.  Jesus said, “No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment.  If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made.” (Mark 2:21).  In other words, when it comes to making your clothing better for a wedding, you have to beware of shrinkage!  If you try to fix an old shirt with a new patch, when the patch inevitably shrinks with use, it will tear the shirt apart.  

Then Jesus used an illustration of wedding wine to make a similar point, “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins.  If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins.  But new wine is for fresh wineskins.” (Mark 2:22).  In a more dramatic example, the same thing will happen if you put new wine into an old wineskin, shrinkage will strike again!  Even worse, you’ll lose both the wineskin and the wine, having nothing to bring to the wedding to celebrate.

Shrinkage Today

So what’s going on here?  What does shrinkage have to do with either fasting or feasting?  The Bible is teaching us something quite profound, which many Christians need to hear today.  Jesus is teaching us the danger of trying to apply the grace of God to your old way of life.

Your old way of life is the old outfit you wanted to wear to the wedding, but decided to patch up a bit first.  Your old way of life is the old wineskin you tried to put new wine into for the wedding celebration.  The one who tries to add the grace of God to his or her old identity will ultimately come apart.

Again, the old garment and old wineskin represent the old identity projects we all have.  It’s our attempt to look a certain way in order to impress, win favor, and be somebody.  Just as we put on clothing, we put on an identity every time we leave our homes.  It’s how we want everyone to see us and how we seek to justify our existence.  The Pharisees wore an identity of moral performance.  They wanted to be seen and respected for their allegiance to God’s word, even if it meant stepping on those who didn’t line up with them.  There are countless “outfits” we can put on, identities we wear like a jacket.  We can be seen for our abilities, knowledge, reputation, family, heritage, or possessions.  We can also wear a victim’s garment, being seen for what has been done to us; sometimes, when all else fails, at least we can get a little acceptance from being a victim.  

A New Kind of Fabric

Then along comes the grace of God, like nothing we’ve ever experienced before.  The grace of God is his unconditional love for us, which seems to be cut from an entirely different piece of cloth, because it is.  It’s his forgiveness in Christ.  So we take this new kind of cloth and put it over the rips and tears in our lives.  However, there’s a problem: new cloth cannot go on an old garment, for shrinkage will tear the garment apart.  

Torn 

And that’s exactly how some of us feel.  Spiritual shrinkage is no laughing matter, because it causes our lives to come apart.  

Yet, this is exactly how God wants it, for he does not want us simply patching up our old way of life.  The grace of God is not simply a “get out of jail free” card, something to get us out of a bind.  I’ve lived my Christian life like this for a long time, as maybe you have, too.  I had an identity project I was working on, the persona I was putting on for the world to see.  I might have claimed to be doing it all for God, but deep down, I knew it was for me.  My agenda and my name were more important to me than God’s will or Name.  And if I ever messed up, I could use the grace of God to get some forgiveness; but then, I’d continue on as before, living life for myself.  

All the while, my life was tearing apart.  

Can you relate?  

Not Duct Tape

God’s grace in Christ is not merely a superficial fix for sins.  If you treat the grace of God like duct tape, then you’ll make your life worse, not better.  I tremble as I write this, but you have to know it’d be better if you never knew the grace of God at all, than to apply the grace of God to an old identity project.  

The grace of God is supposed to bring your life together toward integration, but when used simply as a bald patch, it causes your life to fall apart toward dis-integration.  The Christian life is not a matter of pouring spiritual wine into your old life, hoping to make it more godly.  If you do that, you’ll lose both your life and the wine!  

A New Identity

How do we avoid spiritual shrinkage?  We must abandon our old identity projects and put on the identity of Jesus Christ.  And it makes perfect sense!  The grace of God will adhere to your new identity in Christ.  The grace of God will not shrink away from the one who is clothed in Christ.

Let’s return to the first response Jesus gave when asked about fasting.  He said, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.” (Mark 2:19).  In those days, weddings were the highlight of the community.  They were full of sensual delights and celebration.  The guests were not there to serve or make a name for themselves; the guests were there to party and celebrate the bride and groom!  In a sense, the “identity” of a wedding guest is wrapped up in the marriage ceremony.  Were it not for the wedding, there would be no wedding guests!

Children of the Bridechamber

But there’s more here, which our modern English translations hide.  The term “wedding guests” is a modern translation for an underlying Greek phrase that actually means “children of the bridechamber.”  The Greek idea of “wedding guest” is deeply rooted with the couple being married, so much so, a wedding guest is technically the offspring of the bridechamber.  The guest’s identity comes from the celebration to which he is invited, rather than the old life from which he came.   

This means a child of the bridechamber can abandon any aspirations of stealing the spotlight, for that would be ridiculous at a wedding.  A child of the bridechamber can leave behind any deep desires to impress or earn a place, for a child of the bridechamber is a beloved guest already.  

Can you see the new kind of identity that is emerging?  A child of the bridechamber can leave his or her old identity project at home and freely attend the celebration as a beloved guest.  

Ask yourself, did you show up to life today to party?  Or simply to please?

Sin Boldly

Counterintuitively, this enables you to be yourself more, rather than less, because you can drop the pretenses of your old identity project.  You can simply be yourself.  You don’t have to hide behind a mask, you don’t have to impress, you don’t have to lie to cover up your mistakes and flaws.  You don’t have to hide your rips and tears, but you can be honest.  If you live from your new identity as a child of the bridechamber, your life will begin to come together, rather than tear apart.  You’ll experience the kind of integrity that can only come when you trade in “performance” for “celebration.”

If you have an identity in Christ, you can be a sick sinner, for, as we learned last devotional, Jesus came for the sick, not the so-called healthy (Mark 2:17).  I think this is what Martin Luther meant when he said, “Sin boldly!”  It means we can finally be ourselves, be real, and be there, for the celebration.  We no longer have to put on a show or be the kind of person everyone else wants us to be.  We don’t have to live up to cultural standards or critiques.  We can simply be saved sick sinners, beloved children of the bridechamber, guests at the wedding party. 

JoJo Rabbit

Our new identity in Christ is for celebrating what our Groom, Jesus Christ, is doing in this world.  He is finding his bride and making her ready.  The wedding guests have no other agenda than that.  

There’s a captivating line in the recent movie JoJo Rabbit, which takes place in Nazi Germany.  In the middle of brutality and despair, even when his dad had already been killed, JoJo’s mother tells him, “Life is a gift.  We must celebrate it.  We have to dance, to show God we are grateful to be alive.”

That’s the mindset of a wedding guest, someone who is clothed in Christ.  We are not here for a pity party, but for a wedding party!  We’re not here to earn ourselves accolades or to earn someone else’s approval.  We are here to dance.  We are here to celebrate the life God is pouring into us, just as wine into a new wineskin.

The Final Test

“The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day” (Mark 2:20).  Jesus left us with a test, so we can see if we are truly living as children of the bridechamber or as those who are torn.  When he is taken away, will we mourn?  For true wedding guests, the greatest source of sadness in life is when Jesus is absent (just as the greatest happiness is his presence).  If Jesus is missing, then true children don’t care if their reputation is soaring or their resources are pouring in. 

Again, our greatest sadness is his absence and our greatest joy is his presence, regardless of our worldly circumstances.  

Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”  And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.  The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.  No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made.  And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins-and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.” —Mark 2:18-22

The Breakdown

  1. Can you relate to the idea of using God’s grace just to patch up your old life?  Identify some ways you’re doing this.
  2. Could you give your old “identity project” a name?  What is it trying to do?  What does it want?  What does it fear?
  3. What would it look like if you simply were a wedding guest?  How could you change your life to match your status?  How could you celebrate? 
  4. Is Jesus present in your life right now? Why or why not?

Dr. Jesus and Mr. Levi

Posted on by holyghostnotes in Book of Mark, Devotionals

Mark 2:13-17

The crowd couldn’t get enough of Jesus, so the disciples found the largest venue around, which was an open area by the sea.  He taught them for hours and hours.  Afterwards, walking down a busy road, Jesus passed a tax booth, which was strategically placed there to collect as much revenue as possible from the multitude of travelers.  

The riled crowd who followed Jesus couldn’t wait to see what he would do to the tax collector sitting there, who happened to be a guy named Levi, also known as Matthew.  Levi was considered a traitor, because, although he was Jewish, he was working for Rome.  Levi not only collected taxes for Rome, but he would also collect a little extra and keep it for himself; after all, if anyone messed with him, he had the Roman militia to back him up.  Yes, everyone hated Levi, part swindler and part sell-out.  Guys like him were so hated that they were lumped together in the common expression, “tax collectors and sinners.”  In everyone’s eyes, there was no difference between the worst criminal and a tax collector!

So what would Jesus do to make things right?  Would he demand that Levi give back all the people’s money?  Would he flip over Levi’s table and drive him away, just like he did to the howling demons?  Jesus obviously had power and authority, so how would he leverage it against Levi?

The crowd went slack-jawed at what happened next.  Jesus invited Levi to become the fifth of his twelve chosen disciples!  Then Jesus went over to Levi’s home to hang out, as if they’d been best chums since grammar school.  Soon Jesus was at the table with Levi and all his buddies.  There were many tax collectors and sinners kicking back with Jesus.  They told jokes.  Jesus taught them.  They listened.  The only thing to surpass the strength of his belches was the strength of his love for this marginalized rabble sitting around the table.  

Then there was a knock at the door.  Some of the religious leaders of the day, known as the scribes of the Pharisees, heard about what was going on and wanted to put a stop to it.  You see, although they claimed to know God and follow the Scriptures, their hearts were actually very far from Yahweh.  The proof of this wasn’t hard to see, for they rejected almost everyone.  Jesus, on the other hand, seemed to accept everyone!  And this drove them crazy, because they hated the parts of themselves that they had in common with these ordinary tax collectors and sinners, though they never would admit to it.  

But Jesus knew that those who reject others are really rejecting things they don’t like about themselves; put another way, those who do not accept others, do not accept everything about themselves.  For whatever logical or illogical reasons, they have an idea of what a righteous person should be like, so they carefully cull and toss aside the parts of themselves that don’t line up with their idiosyncratic self-glory projects.  

Seeing those rejected parts of themselves show up in others only reminds them of who they really are.  They are trying to make themselves into a manufactured ideal, also known as an idol.  So, truly, the self righteous person is really rejecting God, for all the parts of the self that we reject are actually good gifts from God.  The Pharisees didn’t know that true holiness looks more like wholeness, rather than man-made religion. 

Knocking at the door, one of them said, “Jesus, you glutton and drunkard, are you in there?”  Andrew looked out a small window to see who it was.  “Rabbi,” Andrew yelled across the room, “Your buddies, the church police are here again.”  Jesus rolled his eyes and smiled. 

A scribe at the door shouted inside, “Jesus, why are you hanging out with tax collectors and sinners?  Don’t you know they will make you ceremonially unclean?  Their spiritual sickness will rub off on you!  Don’t you know that a righteous person, as many say you are, would never associate with such unrighteous people? —Unless, of course, you’re just like them!”

Jesus pulled the pork chop away from his lips and licked BBQ sauce from his thumb and forefinger.  The raucous table grew quiet and all eyes landed on Jesus.  He slurped some foam off the dark lager in front of him and wiped his mustache with the back of his hand.  Smiling at the tax collectors and sinners around him, with a twinkle in his eye, Jesus shouted to the religious leaders at the door, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”  The motley crew around the table erupted with shouts and applause.  The scribes of the Pharisees gnashed their teeth and stormed off into the night.  

“Jesus,” the disciple named John began to ask in a serious tone, for John had a sensitive spirit, “Is it true that the Pharisees really are righteous?  Yes, they seem to keep all the laws, but they seem to neglect the greatest two commandments, as you taught us, to love God and your neighbor.”  The table grew expectant once again, and everyone focused on Jesus.  

“John, my beloved, the kingdom of God is full of surprises!  In the kingdom of God, those who think they are righteous are actually wicked and those who think they are wicked are actually righteous.”  He paused to let his words sink in.  

James rubbed the back of his neck, then asked, “But how will the Physician make us well?”  Jesus smiled and took another sip of beer.  He paused, then asked Levi to pass him a small loaf of bread.  

He slowly tore it apart.

In the days, weeks, and months ahead, Jesus would tell them about how he would be beaten, handed over, and put to death—and then how he would rise again on the third day.  Then they would realize that Jesus was not only the Physician, but also the Medicine.  In fact, he would become the sick Patient, too, for the infirmities of the world would be laid on him.

And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” —Mark 2:17

The Breakdown

  1. Take a moment to read Luke 18:9-14, which is the parable of the tax collector and Pharisee.  How does the parable help explain the idea that those who think they are righteous are actually wicked and those who think they are wicked are actually righteous?
  2. The scribes and Pharisees were prejudiced against tax collectors and sinners; whom do you find it difficult to accept?  Why do you think this is the case?  Could it be that they represent something you don’t like about yourself? 
  3. If Jesus is the Great Physician, how can you be a better “patient” this week?  (Hint: a good patient doesn’t keep his symptoms a secret from the doctor!)

When Your Friends Let You Down

Posted on by holyghostnotes in Book of Mark, Devotionals

Mark 2:1-12

Jesus was preaching to a full house!  There wasn’t room for anyone else to hear him.  Suddenly, some debris fell from the ceiling.  Everyone, including Jesus, looked up and saw a man on a cot being lowered down through a newly dug hole in the roof.  Silhouetted against the bright Middle-Eastern sky, Jesus could see the outlines of four proud men, friends of the paralytic, whose faces were beaming with satisfaction.  The paralytic on the mat was very fortunate to have friends like these to let him down!  (Dad jokes rule!)

While there’s much to discuss in a passage like this, let’s focus on the four ideas Jesus said to the paralyzed man. It’s good to know, by the way, in a narrative passage (a historical story), the main point is to be found in the dialogue, especially if the one doing the talking is Jesus.  

The first idea Jesus said to the man is, “Son, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5).  The passage does not say the paralyzed man came to be healed.  He and his friends were coming to hear Jesus preach the word of God, just like everyone else, which is what Jesus was doing (Mark 2:2).  Most likely, Jesus was at the point of his sermon where he was announcing the good news of forgiveness.  Seeing the paralyzed man on the mat right in front of him, Jesus took the opportunity to let the man know his sins were forgiven, too.  The paralytic came mainly for spiritual healing, although he left with both spiritual and physical healing, as the story indicates. 

“You are forgiven” is the most powerful and empowering message we could ever hear.  Our sins paralyze our soul, more than sickness or accident does the body.  You can live with a paralyzed body, but you can’t live with a paralyzed soul.  Knowing the reality of your forgiveness is the purest and highest form of freedom.  And it’s a word we need to speak to each other, too.  True friends regularly remind each other of their forgiveness from God.  True friends constantly and authentically say to each other, “You are forgiven.”

The second idea Jesus gave the man was, “Rise!” (Mark 2:11).  Yes, Jesus was telling the paralyzed man to stand up, but Jesus was saying much more, too.  The Greek word behind “rise” means more than just to stand, but conveys the reality of a noble summons.  Jesus could have just said to the man, “Stand” or “You are healed,” but he was much more dramatic.  Jesus was summoning the man to rise up to his new calling.  What was his calling?  Forgiveness.  

Our sins condemn us, leaving us spiritually paralyzed and powerless, but when we are forgiven, we can rise to our calling of forgiveness.  Your main calling from God is, “You are forgiven.”  Now you must rise to your calling and walk in forgiveness, no longer hindered by the weight of sin, shame, and regret.  I am always amazed at how much my past haunts me, reaches out and trips me up in the present, and stifles my future dreams, just because I don’t walk my primary calling of forgiveness.  Along the way, God may give us other callings, vocations, and interests, and we must rise up to those, as well.  But we can’t, so long as we’re still paralyzed by guilt and shame.  

The third idea Jesus called the man to was, “Pick up your bed” (Mark 2:11).  Why did Jesus specifically tell the man to pick up his bed?  It was an act of responsibility.  Man, pick up what you were depending on.  Carry what carried you.  The story of the bed needs to be a part of your new story.  There’s something of your old struggle that needs to be a part of your new calling.  Also, once you realize your new calling, you’re not to relax anymore, but go full out.  In a sense, there is no relaxing, no lying around, hesitating, or waiting.  Now that you know what you stand for, take control and move.  

The final idea Jesus communicates to the man is, “Go home” (Mark 2:11).  Once God puts you back on your feet and gets you going the right direction, go home.  You were lost and stuck before, but now it’s time to go home.  But where is home?  Our home is with God.  Whatever it is that God calls you to do in this life, the direction we are to head is clear: we are to aim at going home to God.  If you’re a musician, then aim your life at God.  If you’re a union worker, then plot your course toward your home with God.  Nobody knows when his or her last day of life will be; nobody knows when this journey will come to an end.  So, we had better be ready to arrive at God’s doorstep.  It doesn’t matter how far along the journey you are right now, but it does matter if you’re heading in the right (homeward) direction.

You are forgiven.  Rise.  Pick up your bed.  Go home.  These are the four pillars of an unparalyzed life.  God forgives you of whatever you’ve done; respond to his calling in your life; take responsibility and get going; and aim your life toward the Face of God.       

Son, your sins are forgiven…I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.

—Mark 2:5, 11

The Breakdown

  1. Which part of Jesus’s message to the paralyzed man stood out to you the most?  Why?
  2. Do you have someone in your life who really needs to hear the words, “You are forgiven?”  How could you let him or her know?  
  3. What does it look like to walk in forgiveness?  What gets in the way?

When Jesus Rolls His Eyes at the Church

Posted on by holyghostnotes in Book of Mark, Devotionals

Mark 1:40-45

Our story today is a tender and powerful glimpse into the heart of Jesus for those society despises.  The lowest of the low, a leper, comes to Jesus for help.  In his time, this man was a true outcast.  He was a leper.  He would have been forced to live in seclusion, was banned from all public gatherings, including worship services.  He had to cry out, “Unclean!  Unclean!” whenever he came near anyone, in order to warn them of his diabolical presence.  It’s a struggle to think of anyone today who would be looked down upon as much as this man—perhaps a serial pedofile?  A rapist?  A murderer?  And Jesus reached out his hand and tenderly touched him!  Jesus had strong compassion for him and wanted the man to be healed and accepted.  Today, we struggle to comprehend how much Jesus loved those we hate.  

After healing the leper, Jesus commanded him not to tell anyone about the healing.  Jesus went so far as to tell the man to go to the religious leaders of the day and make it look like the priest did the healing, according to the old purity rituals of the Mosaic law.  Not only did Jesus not want any credit for the astounding miracle and act of compassion, but also, he wanted his enemies to get the credit for it all!  He told the leper to let the priests handle it, “for a proof to them” (Mark 1:44).  The Greek word behind “proof” is usually translated as “witness” or “testimony.”  Jesus actually wanted his miracle to testify to the Old Testament rituals and priests who performed them, even though Jesus came to abolish all of that!  Is Jesus out of his mind?

So what’s going on here?

After the man disobeyed Jesus’s command, telling everyone and his brother that Jesus healed him, we learn why Jesus wanted the priests to get the credit.  “But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places” (Mark 1:45).  Because the man blabbed about Jesus, Jesus’s cover was blown.  He was forced to act secretly and could no longer openly enter a town, because his enemies wouldn’t let him, no doubt, out of envy (Matthew 27:18).  Instead, Jesus had to move around in secluded places, where few, if any, people lived.  

On the one hand, the healed leper was doing true evangelism.  He was spreading the good news about Jesus.  But, on the other hand, his zeal cost Jesus opportunities to do more healing and teaching among larger crowds.  As soon as the man told the first person he saw about the awesome miracle Jesus did for him, can you picture Jesus rolling his eyes?  This man was making life much more difficult for Jesus to minister.

Surely the point of this passage has to do with having wisdom when it comes to telling people about Jesus.  Look, you might have never thought about it this way, but Jesus is absolutely fine with you not telling everyone about him.  Jesus is fine with someone else, even his enemies, getting the credit for his miracles.  Jesus isn’t arrogant or narcissistic.  He doesn’t need accolades and he truly doesn’t need our help.  We don’t have to tell everyone everything Jesus has ever done.  

In fact, to do so may jeopardize the logistics of his mission.  That’s why Jesus, “sent him away at once” (Mark 1:43).  Have you ever thought, perhaps Jesus doesn’t want attention drawn to himself in a particular instance?  Or, perhaps you are not the one to speak for him at this time?  Do you realize, maybe Jesus wishes to be the ghost writer (the uncredited author) in some circumstances?  

Let’s think about this principle for today.  How would it look?  While I’m not saying definitively that these are synonymous examples of what happened with the leper, but perhaps they come close.  Let’s look at some hot topics today, about which Jesus may desire to stay out of the limelight.  

For instance, when it comes to gay marriage, because it’s so controversial, perhaps Jesus is okay with going unmentioned in the conversation.  Again, I’m not saying I’m right, but maybe.  Another issue could be evolution.  Have you ever thought that perhaps Jesus would be fine to give Darwin credit?  Maybe yes, maybe no, but we need to think critically about this principle from the story of the leper.  Other issues that Jesus might wish to stay out of could be: women in ministry, the type of music you listen to, politics, or your stance on alcohol.  Be sure to include issues in psychology, science, and religious pluralism (acceptance of other religions).  

Now, you may gasp, “But these topics you mentioned are foundational issues in Christianity!”  Oh yeah?  They are not any more foundational than the issue Jesus wanted to ascribe to the priests!  The cleansing of the leper was symbolic for the forgiveness of sins, and Jesus was fine with letting the temple priests believe they were the ones to thank. 

The question you need to ask yourself is, “Is my stance making the spread of the core message of Jesus more difficult?”  The core message of Jesus is that God loves us and sent his Son to die on the cross for our sin.  The core message of Jesus is that God accepts you just how you are, even if you’re a despised person, like a leper!  

Think before you open your mouth to tell someone about Jesus.  “Will this cause Jesus to roll his eyes at me?”  We don’t always have to defend Jesus, for he knows how to take care of himself.  

But take heart, if you, just like every other Christian, have been overzealous and made ministry more difficult for Jesus, don’t beat yourself up too much, because he is also able to overcome our failures.  He still loved the leper and I’m sure he was smirking, even as he rolled his eyes at him.

Remember, Jesus told his followers, “I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16).  Among other things, this means that sometimes, the best evangelism is not to say anything about Jesus.

And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.”  Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.”  And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.  And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter. —Mark 1:40-45

The Breakdown

  1. What are some issues Jesus might want to stay out of today?
  2. Instead of telling everyone about Jesus, what could the leper have done instead?  How does this apply to our controversial issues today?
  3. Who are the most despised people in our society today?  How could you reach out to them?  
  4. What would it look like for you to give your enemies credit?

World’s on Fire

Posted on by holyghostnotes in Book of Mark, Devotionals

Mark 1:35-39

Don’t think I need to say this,
‘Cause you know what’s in my head;
“F*cked up” is an understatement,
Can’t wait for this year to end.

Mike Shinoda, after the 2017 suicide of LINKIN PARK fellow band member Chester Bennington, begins his song World’s on Fire with these words, which serve as an apt crystallization for what’s going on in our world in 2020, between the global pandemic, murder of George Floyd by police, and resulting nationwide riots. 

The next story in the Gospel of Mark contains some words we’re still saying to Jesus today.  “Everyone is looking for you” (Mark 1:37).  Recall, Jesus had spent the previous day healing those with diseases and demons.  

Long into the night, Jesus fought the devil.  Imagine him confronting people who foamed at the mouth, spit on him, bit him, and screamed their throats raw.  Picture people cutting themselves with rocks, pulling out their hair, gnashing their teeth, and peeling back their own nails.  They threw themselves on the ground, convulsed, and did other tortuous things to their bodies.  Meanwhile, the sick and diseased struggled to catch a breath, bled on Jesus, vomited on Jesus, shook with fever and pain in his arms, and writhed in agony.  Jesus healed them all, in addition to driving out all the unclean spirits.  It was a battle, a war.  By daybreak, he was exhausted and sought a desolate place to pray (Mark 1:35).  He had been face to face with evil for hours and needed to regroup.  

When you watch the video of the murder of George Floyd, understand that’s what kind of evil Jesus was up against.  What Officer Derek Chauvin did to George Floyd was demonic.  What some are doing in response may also be demonic.  Jesus was familiar with it all.  So he needed to get away for a moment to rest and pray. 

That’s when his disciples went looking for him (verse 26).  They found him and said to him what many today are saying to Jesus in their hearts, “Everyone is looking for you” (37).  There was more evil to deal with, more sickness to fight, more demons to expel—more scoundrels to hold accountable.  Everyone is looking for you, Jesus. 

The world’s on fire, all I need is you,

The riot’s on the horizon,

Calling each others’ bluff;

The smoke’s filling up the skies.

Jesus knew what to do when his disciples found him.  And his response will help us know how to respond to our chaos.  Keep in mind, since he was the Son of God, Jesus could have called upon armies of angels to help him and fight against evil.  But he wanted to respond as a real human, as we, too, could respond.  He could have used physical violence, but he chose a deeper violence.  He chose to use the violence of proclamation.

And he [Jesus] said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out” (Mark 1:38).

Jesus told his disciples the reason why he came, which was to preach the truth.  As we learned from Mark 1:15, he preached the gospel, which is the kind of violence the world needs right now.  

Here’s the message Jesus Christ began to introduce to the world, preaching in town after town, having the power to undermine racism.  The gospel is the message that those who think they are entitled will be put to shame and those who are bowed low in shame will be given power and glory and honor.  Those who think they are better than others, because of their race, class, education, position, or morality, will be condemned by God for their self-righteousness.  But those who think they are inferior or have been told they are inferior, who are poor in spirit, who are bowed low and can’t even lift their faces to heaven, depending on God alone for their salvation, will be lifted up and made righteous.  

Jesus didn’t come to rid the world of all of its evil, but he did his part. He came to give us the precious gospel message, so that we could do our part.  In the aftermath of great evil, we learn from Jesus to return to prayer and the gospel.

Maybe the blaze will take this away,

I shine the earth below;

Tell me to breathe,

You still believe,

Closing my eyes I know.

The world’s on fire.  The gospel is our greatest weapon to put it out, for it can heal both victim and perpetrator. 

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.  And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.”  And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.”  And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. 

—Mark 1:35-39

The Breakdown

  1. After confronting great evil, Jesus went to a desolate place to pray.  Have you done this?  If not, instead of continuing to engage with evil, take some time to engage with God in prayer. 
  2. Why, do you think, it was so important for Jesus to preach the gospel?  Again, what is the gospel? 
  3. Why is the gospel something our world needs especially right now?